Monday, August 31, 2009

Time for Lunch Campaign

Local Slow Food Chapter joins more than 280 CommunityEat-Ins for National Day of Action on Labor Day

Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas – August 31, 2009 - On September 7, 2009, Slow Food Dallas (www.slowfoodDallas.com) will orchestrate a public potluck (called an “Eat-In”) to demonstrate that our community is ready to provide our children with real food at school. This event is just one of hundreds taking place across America as part of Slow Food USA’s (www.slowfoodusa.org/timeforlunch) Time for Lunch National Eat-In.

The Slow Food Dallas Eat-in will be held in an air conditioned facility at White Rock Lake, in Dallas, at 6:00 p.m. Members will enjoy a slow meal with family, neighbors, teachers, community leaders and others concerned about the need to get real food into schools. Attendees will bring a dish to share, drinks, and the desire to make a difference in the type of food the next generation eats.

In the midst of a national obesity epidemic, our schools struggle to serve anything but the fast food and junk food that endanger children’s health. This year, with the Child Nutrition Act up for reauthorization, we have an opportunity to fix this problem. By giving schools the resources to serve real food, we can make a down payment on health care reform, we can build a strong foundation for our children’s health and we can make sure that the legacy we’re leaving them is a future filled with opportunity, security and success.

Our schools lack the resources to serve children the real food they need. To solve this problem,Congress must:

Invest in children’s health. Give schools just one more dollar per day for each child.

Protect against food that puts children at risk. Establish strong standards for all food soldat school, including food from vending machines and school fast food.

Teach children healthy habits that will last through life. Fund grants to start innovativefarm-to-school programs and school gardens.

When children learn that real food is both delicious and good for them, they ask for it at school and at home. As Michelle Obama has said, “What I found with my kids [is that] if they were involved in planting and picking it, they were much more curious to give it a try.”

On Labor Day, Sept. 7, 2009, people in communities across America will participate in a National Eat-In by sitting down to share a meal with their neighbors. This day of action will send a clear message to Congress: It’s time to provide our children with real food at school. There will be petitions available to sign at the event, as well as letters for individuals to mail to their Congressperson. To learn more and sign the Slow Food petition online, visit www.slowfoodusa.org/timeforlunch. To learn more about your local Eat-in, visit http://www.slowfooddallas.com/events.html.